


five+stairs+whump

by TUA (IAMS)



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Crying, Gen, He gets several, Hurt Number Five | The Boy, Hurt/Comfort, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26223790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAMS/pseuds/TUA
Summary: What if Five's powers had failed him when Luther tossed him off the stairs?
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy) & Everyone
Comments: 13
Kudos: 557
Collections: The Umbrella Academy





	five+stairs+whump

"No one leaves until we figure this out." Five stands his ground, daring Luther to take another step. 

He's not used to his brother playing dirty and maybe that's why he doesn't see it coming. From one moment to the next Five is being airlifted like a sack of feathers and dropped right off of the side of the railing.

He tries to blink at the very last second, but the blue hue pops and fizzles out into nothing. It’s not a far fall, give or take about ten feet, but damn it all if his clumsy landing doesn’t hurt like hell. 

"Oh crap!" Luther's massive steps shake the stairs as he runs down them.

Five can make out the sound of Diego's quicker, lighter stride following, and then a cacophony of noise as the rest of his siblings slowly realize what's happened.

Five manages to stifle a grunt of pain as he sits up. At least one rib is broken and his shoulder is throbbing like a _motherfucker_. He curses and holds his arm close to the rest of his body. 

"Oh god, I-why didn't you teleport or something?!" Luther practically screeches, nervously hovering over Five.

_I'm tired_. That's what Five wants to say, because he is, and not just physically, either. But instead, what comes out is a snarled, "Why the fuck would you toss me off the stairs you goddamn ape?!" which doesn't exactly help garner any sympathy. 

Luther huffs, the look of concern quickly morphing into one of annoyance. “Guess you must be fine if you can still find it in yourself to be a dick.” he starts to walk away and the thought of being separated again instills a panic in Five even _he_ isn’t expecting. 

“ _NO_!” Five screams out, alarmed, forcing himself to stand up, ignoring the way it pulls at his aching muscles and jars his injured arm. 

Luther turns around, visibly surprised by the urgency in his brother’s tone. Except that it’s not just that. There’s something else, but Luther can’t quite pinpoint what it is. 

Diego frowns. “Alright, we all need to maybe just sit down and _relax_ a minute. And uh, you,” he gestures at Five, who’s barely holding himself upright. “You need to get that shoulder looked at. It looks dislocated, man. Badly.” 

Five shakes his head. “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. What we _need_ is to stick together.” he insists, eyes shifting between the two men. 

The idea of having to face Reginald again outweighs Luther’s hero complex. He folds his arms across his chest and takes another step back and away from his siblings. “That’s never worked particularly well for us in the past.” he retorts. “And who’s to say we actually manage to stop the apocalypse this time if we failed so spectacularly the first time around? You were so eager last time do to it all on your own; what the hell’s changed?” the skepticism practically rolls off Luther’s tongue. 

Five balls his hands into fists, knuckles white. “Getting through to you is impossible, I’d have better luck with a real ape. At least they understand sign language.” 

Luther scoffs. “You don’t even have an answer to my question, do you?” he shakes his head and takes another step back, and then another, and as he does, he watches the way Five’s face crumbles. Still, he pushes. “Do you?” 

The throbbing in his shoulder is getting harder to ignore. “We need to stay together, if we do this together we can-” 

“That’s a nice sentiment now, but where the hell was that attitude when you decided abandoning the team was ok?” Luther ignores the way Five flinches and plows on, going for the jugular. “You’ve been gone for _years_. What good would sticking together do us now, Five?” 

Five looks down and away, the grip on his arm tightens painfully and he mutters something low under his breath. 

“What?” Luther leans in and catches a glimpse of the expression on his face and it finally clicks into place, what it is he thought he heard in Five’s voice earlier. 

Fear. 

“I can’t.” Five repeats, out loud this time, his small frame trembling. 

Diego gulps. “Can’t what?” The others have gathered around and they wait, curious and apprehensive. 

“I am _tired_ ,” he admits, “of watching you all die. I can’t-I can’t do it anymore.” he can feel everyone’s eyes on him and he hates it with a passion. “If we can’t stop the apocalypse this time, I want us-” Five cuts himself off with a sharp inhale, clutches at his arm too hard. 

“You want us to be together this time.” Allison says what he can’t, her eyes bright, and the way Five glances up at her from under his messy bangs, it’s enough to sober her up. 

“Oh my God, I think Five loves us.” Klaus utters, far from sober but all the same touched and maybe a little heart broken. He’s had his suspicions, of course, that the little murder gremlin loves them, but to have it confirmed is surreal. 

Five means to snort at the ridiculous statement and tell them all to go fuck themselves, but all that he manages is a stupid, pathetic little whimper and a choked off sob. He lets go of his arm to cover his face when the tears start. He can’t even remember the last time he honest to God cried. 

And he certainly can’t remember the last time somebody held him (and wasn’t trying to kill him) so when Vanya wraps her skinny little arms around him in the most gentle manner possible, Five goes stiff and something in his chest aches horribly at the contact. 

That doesn’t stop his dumb family from enveloping him in a big dumb family group hug. Not even his muffled, “Get off.” helps. 

*********

“ _Fuck_!” 

Luther winces guiltily when Diego helps Five set his shoulder back into place. “Sorry.” he mutters, not for the first time. 

Five rubs at the aching joint and sighs. “You’ve already apologized a hundred times. It’s fine.” 

Diego clears his throat, not so subtly. “I think maybe he’s sayin’ sorry for some other things. Maybe for uh, things that were said earlier.” 

Five gives him a look, eyebrows raised. “Since when did you become the peace negotiator? I recollect you being the instigator most of the time.” 

“Oh please, me?” Diego chuckles. “That was all you and Luther, old man.” With those parting words, he sneaks off to where Klaus is convincing Allison and Vanya to get wasted upstairs, leaving the two most stubborn brothers alone. 

“He’s right.” Luther takes a seat next to Five, tentatively. “I’m sorry about what I said. It was messed up.” 

Five shrugs it off. Or tries to. “You weren’t wrong.” 

“Five, you were _thirteen_.” Luther shakes his head. “I know if you could have come back sooner, you would have. I know you didn’t mean to leave us for so long.” 

It’s hard to ignore the way his throat closes up or the thrumming beat of his heart thumping just a little too loud in his chest, but he manages. “Sorry I called you an ape.” 

Luther lets out a startled laugh. “Did you just say ‘sorry’? Or is my hearing off?” he teases. 

Five shoves him (not that it does anything to the big guy) and rolls his eyes, trying to hide a small smile. “You guys are _not_ worth all this effort.” 

Except that they are. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading :) 
> 
> originally posted on: 
> 
> h t t p s://mynumberfivethings. tumblr. com/


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